S. 1965, Allowing Alaska IVORY Act

Summary

S. 1965 would amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to prohibit any state or locality from banning the importation, sale, barter, or possession of an authentic native handicraft article of mammoth, mastodon, or walrus ivory or marine mammal bones that have been produced by an Alaska Native. Authentic native articles are defined by the bill as items composed of natural materials produced or fashioned through traditional native handicraft procedures.

Because S. 1965 would not change federal policy related to the sale of marine mammal bones, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would not affect the federal budget.

CBO estimates that enacting S. 1965 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.

CBO estimates that enacting S. 1965 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.

S. 1965 would preempt state and local laws governing the possession, trade, or sale of handicrafts or clothing produced by certain Alaska Natives using animal ivory or bone. That preemption would be a mandate as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). Although the bill would limit the application of state and local laws, it would impose no duty on state or local governments that would result in additional spending.